marberger



(No Model.) 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 1-.

A. MARBERGER.

v ZITHER PIANO.

No. 517,285 P tented Mar. 27, 1894.

WITNESSES. lNl E 70/? 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2.

(No Model.)

A. MARBERGER. ZITHER PIANO. No. 517,285. Patented Mar. 27, 1894.

Q m WITNESSES. K) lNVE/VTUH OW% By I g ATTOfi/VE S 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

A. MARBERGER. ZITHER PIANO.

Patntd Mar. 27, 1894.

\fi I R THE NATIONAL LITHOGRAFNING OOMPANV,

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' UNITED ST TES ANTON MARBERGER,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ZlTHER-PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,285, dated March 2'7, 1894.

Application filed April 22, 1893- To 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANTON MARBERGER, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, and a resident of New York city, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Zither-Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improved string instrument with keyboard, which is played in the same manner as a piano and the tone of which partakes somewhat of the tone of a piano and somewhat of the tone of a zither, so that I have given the name of zither-piano to the same. It is intended to be used, when built on a larger scale, for accompanying the human voice, and when built on a smaller scale, as a practice-instrument for children, as owing to its small and compact size, it can be readily moved into any room of a house, taken along to the country during the summer-months and be used generally as an auxiliary to the ordinary piano.

The invention consists of a musical instrument or zither-piano,which comprises a stringframe and sounding-board at the bottom of the instrument, an action-frame with its actions and dampers above the strings, stretched on the string-frame and a key-frame with its key-board and key-levers arranged above the actions, which latter are in the nature of piano-actions and are operated by key-levers, the whole being inclosed by a suitable casing, the hinged lid of which when placed in inclined position, forms a music-rack for supporting the music to be played.

The invention consists further of certain details of construction and combination of parts, which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, represents a perspective view of my improved musical instrument or zitherpiano, showing the same with the lid opened, so as to serve as a rack for the music. Fig. 2, is a top-view of the instrument, with the top-part of the casing removed. Fig. 3, is a vertical longitudinal section of the instrument, drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 4, is a sectional side-elevation of a key-lever and damper, the parts being shown in the act of striking a string. Fig. 5, is a side-elevation of the casing for the upper part of the instrument, with the lid in Serial No. 471,423- (No model.)

closed position. Fig. 6, is a side-elevation of the key-frame and key-levers, shown in detached position. Fig. 7, is a side-elevation of the action-frame with an action and damper, and Fig. 8, is a side-elevation of a string-frame which forms the lower part or bottom of the its side and rear-pieces A the lower part or bottom of the instrument.

On the string-frame A is supported the sounding-board a. with its sounding-board bridge a. The strings are stretched over the string-frameAby being applied to tuning-pins on the wrest-plank a retained by strainingpins on the sounding-board bridge a and attached to hitch-pins at the opposite end of the string-frame in a manner corresponding to the stretching of strings in pianos.

Above the string-frame is arranged the action-frame B with its actions and dampers. The action-frame B is composed of two sidepieces b b, the damper-rail b and the hammer-rail b.

To the damper-rail b are pivoted the damper-levers B which carry at their front-ends the dampers b that are formed of flat steel springs with felt-cushions at their ends.

To the hammer-rail b are applied pieces 6 to which the butts of the hammer B are pivoted, the rear-part of each hammer-butt being connected by a bridle b with a regulating eye-screw b on the damper-lever, the bridle passing through an auxiliary hook or eye I) on the damper-lever B and serving to lift the damper when the key is depressed.

There are as many actions as there are strings and keys, in the same manner as in pianos, all the actions and dampers being supported by the acti0n-frame, so as to be readily placed in position above the stringframe, the side-pieces of the action-frame being supported on theside-pieces A of the string-frame.

Above the action-frame B and the actions is arranged the key-frame D which is composed of side-pieces 01*, that fit over the sidepieces b of the action-frame, a key-bottom at and balance-rail cl, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The balance-rail cl carries the pins and felt-cushions for the key-levers D while the key-bottom (Z supports the guide-pins for the keys, so as to produce the steady motion of the same. The rear-end of each key-leverD is connected by a tension-regulating wire (1 with the free end of a fiat spring (Z the opposite end of which is attached to the underside of the balance-rail d of the key-frameD. Each key-lever D is pressed by the tension of the spring d against the under side of a transverse rail d of the key-frame D, a cushioning layer of felt at the under side of the rail d serving to receive the impact of the key-levers with the rail d and to limit the upward motion in the same. The rail cl" is provided with a topshoulder 01 which serves as a rest for the music-sheets, when the hinged lid 0'' of the casing C is moved into open position, as shown in Fig. 1, the lid being supported by suitable stays and serving in this position, in connection with the shoulder d of the rail d" as a music-rack. The parts above the string-frame A are inclosed by the casing O, which rests on the side and rear-pieces A of the stringframe. The lid Ois hinged to the top of the casing and provided with a hinged fall-board C which serves with the lid C for inclosing and protecting the interior parts against injury and the entrance of dust. The fallboard 0 rests on ashoulder O of the hinged front-lid C of the string-frame A, the lid 0 serving to cover the tuning-pins and give access to the same fol-tuning the strings. The legs A are screwed into the front-rail of the string-frame and rear-piece A of the same and are detached when the instrument is packed for shipment.

The key-levers D are provided in front of the key-rail b with a jack f, the threaded shank of which is screwed into the key-lever, and which is provided at its lower end with an anti-friction roller f that rests on a felt cushion f located on the hammer-butt in front of the pivot of the same, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4c. The screw-shank of the jack f serves to adjust the same to the proper relative position toward the hammerbutt so as to produce the easy touch of the key and the striking of the string by the hammer only when the key is fully depressed. As soon as a key is depressed, the rear-end of the key-lever D is raised and the spring (1 set to tension. Simultaneously the jackf is moved in the downward direction, so that a quick oscillating motion is imparted to the hammer. The downward motionimparted to the hammer by the jackf produces the lifting of the rear-part of the hammer-butt, and by its bridle-connection with the damper-lever, the lifting of the damper away from the string, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, so that the string is sounded by the hammer. As soon as the key is released, the key-lever D is returned by its spring d to its initial position on the cushioned rail d while the damper is returned by the weight of its lever B into contact with the string, returning also by its bridle-connection with the rear-part of the hammer-butt, the hammer into its initial position.

The sounds produced by the instrument are somewhat between that of a zither and of a piano. The smaller size of the instrument is preferably made with four octaves, while larger sizes can be made up to six octaves.

The length of the key-levers permits the easy playing of the instrument even by small children. "Within a range of four octaves nearly all the pieces that are played by be ginners, learning the piano, are arranged, so that consequently sufficient scope is given for the practice of the fingers and a great deal of amusement is furnished to children as they can practice and playon the instrument in their nursery and other room, without the annoyance caused by the regular practice on the piano. \Vhen the lidis closed the instrument can be used as a table.

An instrument of larger size can be used to advantage by singers to accompany the human voice, as the singer is located back of the instrument and enabled to sing toward the hearers.

The instrument can readily be packed up by unscrewing the supporting legs and can be readily carried about or shipped to any place, forming thereby a convenient and attractive means by which children can keep up the practice of the fingers and at the same time furnish considerable amusement to young and old people.

The instrument can be manufactured at a comparatively small price so as to be even within the reach of families of moderate means where it can take the place to some extent of the more expensive pianoforte.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The combination, with a string-frame, sounding board and strings, stretched on the string-frame, of an action-frame supported on the string-frame and provided with pivoted hammers and dampers above the strings and bridles connecting the rear-parts of the hammer-butts with guide-hooks and regulating screw-eyes on the damper -1evers, substan tially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a sti-ingfranie, sounding board and strings stretched on said frame, of an action-frame and actions, composed of dampers and pivoted hammers, the butts of which are connected bybridles with the damper-levers, and a series of fulcrumed and spring-actuated key-levers above the hammers and damper-levers, the key-levers being provided with jacks in front of the hammer-butts for engaging the latter, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a string-frame, sounding board and strings stretched over the same, of an action-frame supported on the string-frame, a key-frame supported on the side-pieces of the action-frame, a shoulder rail and a casing inclosing the actions and keylevers and being provided with a hinged lid, said hinged lid and shoulder rail being adapted to form a music-rack, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a zitherpiano, with the key-frame, composed of side-pieces, a keybottom, a top-rail and balance-rail, of keylevers fulcrumed to the balance-rail, tensionsprings attached to the under-side of the balance-rail, and regulating wires connecting the rearends of the key levers and tensionsprings, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination,in a zitherplano, with the string-frame, the wrest-plank and tuningpins of which are located at the front-part of ANTON MARBERGER.

Witn esses:

PAUL GOEPEL, CHARLES SCI-IROEDER. 

